Different types of fermentation tech and their nutritional benefits

Fermentation-based proteins are proving to be an up-and-coming alternative protein source, with growing investor interest in the first half of 2024.

- Cheryl Tan

Figures show investments in the fermentation sector surged during that period, driven mostly by investments in biomass and precision fermentation start-ups, outpacing those of cultivated meat and plant-based proteins for the first time.

The Bezos Centre for Sustainable Protein was launched on Sept 5 at the National University of Singapore, backed by $39 million from the Bezos Earth Fund. The National Research Foundation (NRF) pumped in some US$14.8 million (S$19 million) in June 2024 for a new Centre for Precision Fermentation and Sustainability (PreFerS).

Q What is the difference between biomass and precision fermentation, and what payoffs do they offer?

A Similar to the ways in which cultured products like yogurt and cheese are made, biomass fermentation involves creating new food products by growing protein-rich microbes in a bioreactor for direct consumption.

There has been an increased focus in using mycelium or fungi as the microbe for fermentation, given its naturally high protein content and ability to multiply rapidly.

Dr Simon Eassom, chief executive at alternative protein think-tank Food Frontier, said biomass fermentation plays a big and important role in the plant-based meat sector, as companies like Quorn have demonstrated.

Products from such fermentation processes, like Quorn, are relatively cheap to produce and compare well for taste and texture, he added. In Britain, Quorn came up top for being the cheapest meat alternative, compared with other brands, according to a 2021 survey.